Cruise Control Set at 55

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Also taking off from a light. I don't feel that I'm really laying into it or anything, but I'm almost always the first one across the intersection.


I routinely see 18-wheelers and dump trucks take off faster from a light than SUV/minivan/sedan/pickup (did I leave anything out?) drivers.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted By: John_K
Don't get me started on the idiots that STOP on the entrance ramp.




A lot of the entrance ramps here are metered with lights. One of the most stupid ideas ever put out.

 

[VeryNoisyPoet]

Originally Posted By: eyeofthetiger
I'll waste all the energy I want when my life is threatened on a daily basis due to the stupidity of other people.


Exactly! My blood pressure already went up when the idiot did their thing and put me in danger. I'm going to lay into them with air horn and high beams. Actually quite cathartic, and I feel more at ease afterwards knowing a dangerously stupid or inconsiderate driver just got a healthy serving of sonic fury.

 

[OVERKILL]

The worst one for me is the entrance at Washago onto Highway 11 toward Gravenhurst in Muskoka.

You have cottagers, some of which are elderly, merging on a ramp that is far, FAR too short and despite having done it before, and knowing that they should floor it as they come out of the bend, they don't. So they are coming into traffic doing 110Km/h easily doing like 60-70.

 

[Cujet]

There is another aspect to this that we've not touched on. Many modern vehicles are tuned to accelerate slowly, especially in "eco" mode.

Even cars like the new Corvette just plod along unless the throttle is mashed hard, at which point it takes off.

I rent cars every week in my travels. Some vehicles are so sluggish at part throttle, it's unbelievable. Someone with a lifetime of driving behind them, will naturally press the pedal down halfway and go. Today, that many not be enough. And flooring it often brings about far more acceleration than needed.

Many modern vehicles don't modulate modest acceleration well.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994

Also taking off from a light. I don't feel that I'm really laying into it or anything, but I'm almost always the first one across the intersection.



My Club Sport is glacially slow(0-60 mph in a tick under 8 seconds, 1/4 mile in 16 seconds on a good day) and I'm still usually the first away from the light- even when I'm not thrashing it...

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: John_K
Don't get me started on the idiots that STOP on the entrance ramp.


When I was in insurance I saw a claim from this at least once a week. Not necessarily on-ramps, but people who were confused would just stop in the middle of the road for no reason, instead of pulling to the side. The problem is it usually resulted in another person being partially at fault because they were following too closely or not paying attention in the eyes of the insurance company.

I think this is partly the reason speed limits are not being increased. Too many stupid people who cannot control their vehicles properly, and the difference in speed between those going the limit and those who are not is what causes more injury when accidents occur, meaning more liability for the insurance companies. I passed someone doing 35-40 mph in the middle lane the other day on the highway. On some highways here, if you are doing 80 mph you will be passed like you are standing still.

 

[Jim K]

When coming up to an entrance ramp on my right I try to stay to the left to allow them coming in clearance.

 

[PimTac]

Planning to merge can go both ways. When I’m on the ramp I can check the freeway traffic and time my merge if everything is moving. If I am on the freeway and see cars coming down the ramp and I am able to move over one lane then I do that out of courtesy. In heavier traffic, you have to judge things differently. If the freeways are a parking lot then it doesn’t matter at that point.

One point to bring up, many states including WA are using a pay to play system for hov lanes. So the choice comes down to sitting in traffic for a while or giving up $$ to move. The rates are dependent on the traffic flow at the moment. Up here they are thinking of raising it to $10.

 

[wag123]

Originally Posted By: das_peikko
I'm surprised by how many peopleI I see entering the freeway traveling slower than 55. I expect people to enter the freeway at 60 or 65 so that I don't have to hit the brakes and disengage my cruise control. 70 would be ideal.

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Traffic must be light in San Antone? It would be something if I get to do over 40mph on the freeway here most hours. I don’t use the right lane unless I’m getting off or just got on.

The traffic is fairly heavy in SA, but the road designs and signage in Texas are awful (thanks TXDOT) and we have some of the worst drivers in the country IMO.
They must not be teaching the proper way to accelerate and merge into traffic on entrance ramps in driver education anymore, and they are obviously not checking to see if new drivers have this skill during the driver's license road test here.

 

[DeafBrad]

Human nature. Nothing new. I would venture to guess 1,000's of years ago when everyone was walking there were people who entered the path in front of people and walked slow. Some people would probably stop right in the middle of the path too!

 

[PimTac]

The thing I notice even more often is when I start seeing brake lights up ahead (I was taught to look further than the car in front of me), I’ll back off the throttle. Then some yahoo will go around me only to slam on his brakes to avoid the collision. I call this a big hurry to go nowhere.

I seriously think between the example I just gave and the merging topic, drivers are not being taught to scan ahead in the distance.

 

[SHOZ]

Sometimes 55 is all the faster I go on the Interstate....

 

[Duffyjr]

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

I've got one, drivers on the highway who speed up and match speed blocking driver on the exit ramp. Driver on the exit ramp speeds up, driver on the highway speeds up...driver on the exit ramp slows down to duck in...driver on the highway slows down.

 

[SeaJay]

Originally Posted By: eyeofthetiger
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Dang we're good drivers!

Already mentioned, we can only control our own driving. B1tching about others is a waste of energy.


I'll waste all the energy I want when my life is threatened on a daily basis due to the stupidity of other people.


Have at it, won't help much (if at all) but if it makes you feel better than complain away.

 

[Silverado12]

Here's my take on this after driving OTR for 22 years. I'll move over if I can, slow down a little if I have to let someone in, hammer down on the get-on ramp and try to duck into traffic w/o messing up anyone. No accidents in over 22 years of driving that were my fault. Only one accident total and that was unavoidable because the other driver fell asleep. Always be courteous on the highway even if others aren't. At the end of the day you got to where you're going safely.

 

[pandus13]

At the end of the day you got to where you're going safely[/B].

This ^^^

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: John_K
Don't get me started on the idiots that STOP on the entrance ramp.


Yeah, except that your city has a number of "metered" on-ramps with actual traffic lights.
I typically ignore these, but they do make the unaware come to an actual stop on what are very short ramps to begin with so those not driving an M5 or Corvette simply can't get up to a reasonable entry speed.

 

[wag123]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: John_K
Don't get me started on the idiots that STOP on the entrance ramp.

Yeah, except that your city has a number of "metered" on-ramps with actual traffic lights.
I typically ignore these, but they do make the unaware come to an actual stop on what are very short ramps to begin with so those not driving an M5 or Corvette simply can't get up to a reasonable entry speed.

I ignore the metered on-ramp signals myself unless there is someone in front of me that stops. IMO they are idiotic and dangerous! Let a cop give me a ticket for running one, I will gladly take the ticket, and I will still run the next one that I come across.